A wide variety of medical conditions and disorders have been successfully treated using implantable medical devices. Such implantable devices include, but are not limited to, stimulators, pacemakers, and defibrillators.
It is often desirable to electrically couple an implantable medical device to another device. For example, an implantable device may be coupled to a lead having a number of electrodes disposed thereon so that the device may deliver electrical stimulation to a site within the body. Additionally or alternatively, an implantable device may be electrically coupled to an external device configured to communicate with and support the implantable device.
To facilitate electrical coupling to another device, many implantable devices include one or more connector assemblies. A common type of connector assembly includes an array of pins configured to detachably mate with a receptacle connector assembly having a corresponding pattern of female sockets or holes.
With advancements in technology, many implantable devices have become increasingly complex and smaller in size. Hence, the need for small, reliable pin array connectors and corresponding receptacle connectors has increased.
However, it is currently difficult and costly to manufacture small connectors for implantable medical devices because stringent dimensional and geometrical tolerance requirements must be met. Moreover, typical pin array connector assemblies have pins that are made out of rigid metal. This rigidity may result in undesirable stress when the pins and sockets are connected, and thereby cause device malfunction.